❓ Opposition questions the Health Minister regarding contradictory statements about supply management issues at Fiona Stanley Hospital and the role of Serco. The Minister defends their statements, attributing issues to shared responsibilities and rectified misunderstandings.
AnsweredQoN 566Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL — SUPPLIES
MANAGEMENT SERVICE
566. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Health:
Before asking my question, on behalf
of the member for Mandurah I acknowledge the student group from Mandurah
Baptist College in the public gallery today.
I refer to reports that the health
department took over some of the supplies management service at Fiona Stanley
Hospital from Serco in November last year.
(1) Why, on 25 February
this year when discussing the December Fiona Stanley Hospital briefing, did the
minister tell Parliament, and I quote, that ''no additional issue where
there was a breach of contract was brought to my attention''?
(2) Why did the
minister not disclose that this part of the service had been removed from Serco
when on 10 March he was questioned, but instead responded, ''The simple
answer is no. There are no areas in danger of failing''?
MANAGEMENT SERVICE
566. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Health:
Before asking my question, on behalf
of the member for Mandurah I acknowledge the student group from Mandurah
Baptist College in the public gallery today.
I refer to reports that the health
department took over some of the supplies management service at Fiona Stanley
Hospital from Serco in November last year.
(1) Why, on 25 February
this year when discussing the December Fiona Stanley Hospital briefing, did the
minister tell Parliament, and I quote, that ''no additional issue where
there was a breach of contract was brought to my attention''?
(2) Why did the
minister not disclose that this part of the service had been removed from Serco
when on 10 March he was questioned, but instead responded, ''The simple
answer is no. There are no areas in danger of failing''?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Mr
Speaker, both of those statements were and remain correct. There have been some
issues with supply production, supply ordering, by the hospital that was being
managed partly by Serco and partly by the Department of Health. There were some
issues of ordering between them. I was briefed on those, and I did know about
those. In fact, on the day that the member asked the question, at the very
meeting before that—on that same day—that I had had with the
Department of Health, I was reassured that both of those things were not true.
The decision has been made on how to mitigate that.
Mr
R.H. Cook : You have made one?
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Yes, a decision had been made at that stage when I made the statement that the
risks had been mitigated and that there was no plan to take over supplies.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : There was always a role for both Serco and Health in
undertaking supply orders. As it turned out, there was no clarity on that
because we had people coming from Fremantle Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital
and Serco people were put in place, and there were some issues around the
arrival of supplies, who was ordering and how those supplies were being
ordered. That was partially Serco's fault, but it was just as much the
Department of Health's fault in the way that that all worked out. We
have now reached understanding on who is doing what and how it is being done.
Understanding has been reached. I once again reiterate those two things: the
contract has not been taken over—that statement is correct—and
those problems have been rectified.
Speaker, both of those statements were and remain correct. There have been some
issues with supply production, supply ordering, by the hospital that was being
managed partly by Serco and partly by the Department of Health. There were some
issues of ordering between them. I was briefed on those, and I did know about
those. In fact, on the day that the member asked the question, at the very
meeting before that—on that same day—that I had had with the
Department of Health, I was reassured that both of those things were not true.
The decision has been made on how to mitigate that.
Mr
R.H. Cook : You have made one?
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Yes, a decision had been made at that stage when I made the statement that the
risks had been mitigated and that there was no plan to take over supplies.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : There was always a role for both Serco and Health in
undertaking supply orders. As it turned out, there was no clarity on that
because we had people coming from Fremantle Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital
and Serco people were put in place, and there were some issues around the
arrival of supplies, who was ordering and how those supplies were being
ordered. That was partially Serco's fault, but it was just as much the
Department of Health's fault in the way that that all worked out. We
have now reached understanding on who is doing what and how it is being done.
Understanding has been reached. I once again reiterate those two things: the
contract has not been taken over—that statement is correct—and
those problems have been rectified.
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